The performance demands of software may require the retrieval of large amounts of data from data storage devices, such as a compact disk (CD), a digital video disk (DVD), or a hard disk. Data is typically stored in discrete locations, often called sectors, on such data storage devices. Accordingly, to access this data, a reading device, such as a data head, may be positioned and repositioned between the appropriate data locations, often upwards of fifty times a second. Generally, the faster the data head transitions from data location to data location, the quicker the data may be retrieved from the disk and transmitted to the appropriate system. The time to access data is typically known in the industry as seek time. By lowering the seek time, the performance level of a data device may be improved.
To facilitate this reciprocating movement between data locations, a hard-disk drive, for example, may employ an actuation mechanism that repeatedly positions the data head at an actuation rate in accordance with a single predetermined performance level, irrespective of the operating conditions. That is, traditional data storage devices statically operate at a maximum performance level or seek time. Unfortunately, the higher the performance level of traditional data devices, the greater the likelihood that the actuation mechanism generates more heat and consumes more power. Additionally, operation at a uniform performance level may generate more heat and/or consume more power than desired.